HOBOKEN – Second Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason filed a lawsuit recently against the City of Hoboken after public documents relating to a colleague’s alleged conflict of interest were delivered to her heavily redacted, according to a report on NJ.com.

According the report, the councilwoman requested all invoices billed to the city by the law firm Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt & Fader between January and October of last year, apparently in an effort to continue her personal investigation into Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla, who took a partnership with the firm in August. (Bhalla has stated that he began abstaining on all votes relating to the firm after he was hired, a claim that was substantiated by city records.)

But when the city complied with Mason’s request, filed through the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), the files she received were redacted to the point of uselessness, NJ.com reported. Mason was billed $130 for the documents, but “all but a few verbs” were blacked out. According to Mason’s lawyer, Jeffrey Kantowitz, the amount redacted exceeds what is allowed by attorney-client privilege laws.

The latest suit is hardly the first time Mason has taken issue with Bhalla, who staunchly defended himself against claims that he had a conflict of interest when voting on Florio Perrucci contracts while he was in negotiations with the firm over his subsequent partnership. At one point, Mason tried to introduce a council resolution condemning Bhalla’s activities, but it was quickly shot down by then-Council President Peter Cunningham.

Prior to his reelection on a ticket with Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Bhalla said he would file a defamation suit against Mason following Election Day, though it’s unclear if such a suit has been filed. – Dean DeChiaro

the obsessed person below is likely a highly paid city hall flunky who is hiding his own raise. shame that we pay them so much to hide information. mason and zimmer are both useless politicians from the same cloth.

this is the most defensive administration since anthony russo. she doesnt take bribes but does everything else to intimidate people who ask questions. i had high hopes. what a shame.

Unbelievable? what is wrong with Beth Mason? Why do you continue to waste taxpayer money in fighting your ridiculous lawsuits? Are you going to sue me next for expressing my right to my own opinions? I would ask anyone who is reading this article to tell Ms. Mason how you feel about her ridiculous behaviour the next time you see her out and about in Hoboken. It is time for her to get a clue that her time is done, we want politicians who will help move hoboken forward not backwards.

Careful rbm, citizens can ask questions but this is a dangerous place for that. All your information is likely being handed over to James "FinBoy" Barracato who has full access at the Hudson Reporter and coordinates "stories" on behalf of Beth Mason.

They are conspiring to add more people to Beth and Ricky Mason's SLAPP suit initiated by their hard core operatives Lane Bajardi and Kim Cardinal Bajardi. Then the HR puts your name in lights for Google avoiding mention by name of the "Hoboken couple" political operatives who have worked with the HR - for years!

It's an underhanded, dirty game they're playing.

For speaking out, you are likely high on the target list to be added to their frivolous lawsuit courtesy of Beth and Ricky Mason.

The moral equivalence is to cover up their complicity and attempt to make an issue over people speaking out as if that's some sort of government sanctioned oppression.

Listen to how often that "song" is sung here on the HR website. You think that's just average citizens singing that tripe?

ELEC just hit Hoboken's nightmare with hundreds of campaign violations worth millions in fines. Beth Mason is in hiding and outraged. She's looking to destroy anyone and everyone who she believes had some role in blowing the whistle on her. She's an idiot and refuses to believe the truth that people are fed up with her destructiveness against Hoboken.

So be forewarned, Beth Mason is angry and the HR is here to help her never answer to her suing Hoboken residents.

Yellow journalism at its worst! Even Hoboken411 never was part of such a political operation using the courts.